Mike Ciesnolevicz
"I got to spend some time watching and talking with B.J. while he was training for this fight in Las Vegas at one of the same gyms I train at daily. I saw some of the stuff he was working on, and I think he has a few surprises up his sleeve for Fitch. I am a Fitch fan also. I like his grinding style. He is well-rounded and shuts people down. He is very dominant but is also a humble guy. I think if it wasn’t for GSP, Fitch would be dominating 170 the last few years. This fight is a toss-up for me, but I am rooting for B.J. by submission." - Mike on BJ-Fitch. "I think Liddell still has a chance due to his punching power, but the smart money is on Rich Franklin. He has been more active, and I think age and ring rust will be a factor. I think Franklin should have the cardio edge and I’m sure his timing will be better. I think Liddell proved he is a hall of fame level fighter, but sadly I think his time might be over. He has not looked good in recent fights, and I think Franklin still has it." - Mike on Chuck-Rich. "I am going to go with Gomi by TKO or decision. I think Gomi might not be the fighter he once was, but I think “KenFlo” is gonna be out-powered a bit in this fight. I think Gomi hits harder, and I think Gomi has the advantage in the wrestling department. Maybe Florian submits him but not likely in my opinion." - Mike on the Florian-Gomi fight. "I really think Shane Carwin is a class act. Seems like a great guy, and it’s hard to root against him, but Frank Mir is really turning into a killer with his stand-up, power, motivation and dangerous submissions. I also think the fact that Carwin hasn’t gone over one round could be a factor. I think Carwin is going to be dangerous with his power early, but I see Frank Mir being smart and getting Carwin on the mat, where he hasn’t been tested. Once it’s there, I see Mir getting the submission. Hopefully Carwin taps so he doesn’t get injured." - Mike on the Carwin-Mir fight. "I think Brandon Vera is a very well-rounded fighter and has the skill set to beat just about anyone out there on a given night and I won’t be surprised if he wins this fight. But I think “Bones” Jones is gonna be too much for him. The X factor is Jones’ athleticism and unorthodox style. He is not a traditional Thai striker or boxer. He comes at you from weird angles and with good fakes, which not only set up his strikes but make his takedowns look way too easy. I have to pick Jones by TKO or decision." - Mike on the Vera-Jones fight. "Nick Diaz always wins fights that I think he will lose. He has become one of the top guys in the game with a very unorthodox yet well-rounded style, not to mention he is as tough as they come. I think he executes his game plan perfectly and wears Zaromskis down by throwing hundreds of punches before finishing him with a kimura or rear choke. Diaz then gets on the microphone and says, "What do you want from me man? I just woke up!" " - Mike on the Diaz-Zaromskis fight. "I'm pulling for Coleman because he needs it more than Randy. He was the man back in his day and he is the underdog. This fight is going to be an uphill battle for him, and it's almost impossible to win for him due to Randy being more well-rounded with better gameplans and cardio. Randy wins this fight by late TKO or maybe decision after Coleman gasses hard trying to keep up." - Mike on the Couture-Coleman fight. "Big Nog is one of my all time favorites for his heart, toughness and amazing transition of BJJ to MMA. I can’t think of a time I ever rooted against him. As much as I want him to win this fight, I just think, at this point in his career, he won’t be able to keep up with Cain. This fight will likely serve as a changing of the guard. It pains me to say it, but Cain wins by unanimous decision." - Mike on the main event between Nogueira and Velasquez. " Mike Ciesnolevicz: I am not a GSP fan; never have been, never will be. I pray that Shields submits him, but, likely, GSP is going to notch another decision. I think Shields has a much better shot at beating Anderson Silva than he does to beat GSP. Shields is big, strong and explosive at middleweight. At 170, Shields seems weaker and slower and his cardio suffers. I believe he cuts too much weight, and it will be his downfall. GSP wins this fight by one-sided decision, using his jab effectively." - Mike on GSP-Shields. "Diaz-Penn was the real main event for a lot of the hardcore UFC fans anyway. When Diaz loses fights, it’s usually by being out-positioned and wrestled. I don’t think that Penn is going to use that game plan, and I don’t know that he can actually use wrestling to win this fight. I think this looks like a typical Diaz fight where he comes forward nonstop and uses his hands to pepper Penn. Penn has solid MMA boxing also and might land some shots with his straight right, but I think the Diaz pace will wear on him. B.J. isn’t known for his cardio, and that could play a factor. On the ground, most people would say Penn is better, but Diaz’s BJJ is very underrated. I say it’s even if the fight hits the floor. My pick is Diaz by decision, with Penn surviving but taking lots of shots courtesy of Diaz’s reach advantage." - Mike on BJ-Diaz.